


Invitation

by Viridian5



Category: Saiyuki
Genre: M/M, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-06-29
Updated: 2005-06-29
Packaged: 2017-10-02 08:16:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Viridian5/pseuds/Viridian5
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hakkai waits for his turn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Invitation

**Author's Note:**

> This one had an unlikely inspiration. I'm curious to see if anyone gets it.

"It's a gorgeous evening," Hakkai said as he idly stroked Hakuryu, who arced into his touch contentedly.

"Tch," Sanzo answered as expected.

Cool twilight had settled over the town, blue-purple. Hakkai breathed in the sweet, smoke-scented air from the cheerful torch fires scattered here and there and watched Gojyo dance. Half-breed, taboo, conflicted about the identifying color of his hair and eyes, the scars of his mother's hatred forever etched into his face, Gojyo nonetheless inhabited his body with utter grace and comfort, at home in it in a way Hakkai could only distantly dream of. Caught between two worlds, Gojyo lived in both. Here he took advantage of the town's ignorance of what his red hair and eyes signified.

Although only the men danced for this festival, Gojyo danced with every woman watching as surely as if he had a hand on their waists. Watching the play of firelight on Gojyo's swinging hair and the sweat gleaming on his bare arms, Hakkai danced with him too, a little.

The youkai in Hakkai heard the beat of the drums and wanted things, but he ignored it as always. Caught between two worlds, Hakkai lived in neither. Invited to dance, he remained still on the sidelines.

"Goku's enjoying the dancing too," Hakkai said.

"If you could call jumping around 'dancing.' Maybe he'll work off some of his energy." Sanzo looked at Hakkai, who looked mildly back. "Right. Not a chance."

Sanzo stood still with him and seemed to be purged of the compulsion that had led to five days of nearly straight driving, barely stopping for even necessities. Sanzo might be considered earthy and might not practice most of the Buddhist ideas of self-restraint--not that he even claimed to be a Buddhist despite the robes he wore--but he remained connected to a higher power, one that sometimes rode roughshod over him as he often did over his companions. But right now, standing nearly relaxed and smoking next to Hakkai, he seemed more pleasant.

"You could dance," Hakkai said.

"So could you."

Hakkai laughed a little, his disarming, self-deprecating laugh. He had one for every occasion, which saddened him sometimes. "I don't think you would call what I would do 'dancing' either."

"I don't want to make promises I won't keep."

The dancing did have some aspects of foreplay. "Your self-restraint amazes me."

"Shut up. I don't dance. I haven't danced since I was eight, and that was with my broom. I spent so much time with the damned thing."

"It became many things to you?"

"Weapon, confidant.... Good thing the pervert's not around, or he'd quickly suggest other things I did with it."

Sanzo could be like this sometimes--softer, companionable, and more open--when alone with Hakkai. They should do this more often. Otherwise Sanzo might smoke himself into an earlier grave. Or his head might explode from stress and rage, which sometimes seemed all too possible. A prideful part of Hakkai took great pleasure in the knowledge that only he received this tamer Sanzo.

Gojyo came up behind them and put an arm over each of their shoulders, eliciting an indignant "Kyu!" from Hakuryu. "C'mon out and dance, wallflowers. You can't just stand there. C'mon, Sanzo-chan. What, you're too cute to dance, or too scared?"

Sanzo had stiffened under Gojyo's weight, then smacked the arm off of him. "There are more than enough people making idiots of themselves." He never relaxed around Gojyo. Hakkai knew he'd be shot at if he ever told Sanzo why that was.

Gojyo didn't inspire peace in anyone, but smelling the sharp scent of his clean sweat and feeling the heat of his body and bright edge of his enthusiasm Hakkai couldn't see that as an entirely bad thing. Gojyo grinned at him in a way similar to but not quite the same as he did to the women, making offers that he might even mean. Someday Hakkai might get the strength or insanity to see if he kept his promises.

"C'mon, Hakkai. Dance with me," Gojyo said.

"Not yet," Hakkai answered.

 

### End


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